Joseph Cheatham On Launching a Candle Business During a Global Pandemic
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DEMETRIUS SIMMS
Newly founded black-owned businesses are diverse and rightfully stepping into the spotlight
Joseph Cheatham’s luxurious and eco-friendly candle line, yasaf, lit. caters to every type of candle connoisseur
4 MINS READ TIME
Working against the restraints of an untimely summer quarantine, founder of yasaf, lit. candles, Joseph Cheatham strategically kept the world abreast of a secret project he was working on via Instagram. An initial post highlighting the meaning of the brand name (meaning “he will add”) left followers intrigued, and in a month’s time, the South Jersey native announced his first installment of scented candles.
“My ritual at the top of every year is to write down and lay out goals and experiences I wish to attain,” says Cheatham. “2020’s list included exploring a creative venture and taking a candle making class - I never thought the two would converge. When I realized taking a class wasn’t plausible due to COVID-19, I took it upon myself to watch a couple tutorials and complete a little DIY project at home, which led me to the idea of producing my own line. The rest developed itself, organically.”
Collection I of yasaf, lit. debuted with six refreshing candles all hand poured into reusable matte-frosted vessels in Brooklyn, NY. There is a range of enticing aromas based around citrus and floral notes. And the icing on the cake? The thoughtful initiatives yasaf, lit. has taken sourcing cruelty-free fragrance oils and using eco-friendly wooden wicks for a slower burn.
For many small business owners, 2020 presented hardships from extensive declines in revenue to completely shuttered brands. According to Forbes, the COVID-19 crisis has wiped out nearly 50% of small black-owned businesses since April. Reports also show there is an astounding 41% decline in active black businesses, making them twice as likely to shutter than white-owned businesses.
Cheatham, a black business owner, still decided to move forward in confidence with his September release stating, “I was only nervous about releasing this brand a few hours before the site went live. Pandemic or not, I knew that the support would come even if it was only from family and friends. If I had only made one sale or ten, I would be proud knowing I achieved one of my biggest 2020 goals and started a business, in the midst of a pandemic.”
It has been three months since yasaf, lit. candles launched and the brand has already been recognized by household publications such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar for holiday shopping; proving a little opposition doesn’t always deter success. As a proud Howard University alumni, Cheatham understands this concept entirely stating “Howard bisons are going to do one thing, which is make it happen! The culture of my alma mater helped me develop a go-getter mentality to push forward no matter what adversity is faced.”
This year, global outrage and despair ensued from the deaths of unarmed black individuals such as Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd. Americans rioted in all 50 states to evoke important calls to action regarding police reform and systemic racism. Out of support for smaller black businesses that may have experienced looting or loss of funds to repair property defacement during those riots, social media platforms provided extensive identification of black businesses to shop online throughout the summer and always. Heightened visibility encouraged support and honest consideration of where the black dollar was being spent.
“I believe this is a time where we recognize systemic racism in this country is at an all-time high, and it’s an eye opener to how important it is to lean on one another for support and be supportive,” states Cheatham. “Also, knowing where our dollar and collaborative efforts are deserved is very important. I was able to hold my launch event in a black-owned business, T.A. New York by Telsha Anderson in the Meatpacking District and have yasaf, lit. featured on Black-Owned Brooklyn. I’m beyond grateful for both connections!”
From hosting the Collection I launch event at T.A New York to a recent pop-up at West Elm, Cheatham has been meeting his customer’s face to face in diverse settings to connect with a range of demographics. “I love feeling customers out for their preference of candle notes because nine times out of ten, I have something they would enjoy burning. I carefully selected these scents and wanted to make sure “Collection I” would please each customer and in every space,” he notes.
Building a business is all about risk taking and Cheatham understands that confidence is a fundamental key to success.
“This was definitely the biggest risk I’ve taken professionally and creatively,” Cheatham explains. “For me, it was something outside of my box but I was very sure of it. I had to walk confidently into this business plan for my candle line if I wanted it to successfully catapult. In fact, the idea to take on this venture inspired my candle, “APLOMB,” which is defined by self-confidence. The back of the candle packaging reads, “If you desire life to live throughout your work and space, belief in thyself and decisions will blaze the trail without hesitation.”
yasaf,lit. is now also available at interior design and home decor spaces such as Dyphor New York and Design Milk for purchase.